HAPI Builds 101 Homes — Turner Highlights Volunteers
Social Transformation Minister Rawdon Turner defended the integrity of the Homes for the Indigent Programme (HAPI) during Monday’s Budget Debate, stressing that the initiative has now delivered 101 houses and is built entirely by volunteers rather than contractors.
Turner rejected claims that HAPI was being used to award politically connected construction contracts, saying the allegation “cannot stand up” because the programme does not hire contractors in the first place.
He told Parliament that prisoners, Defence Force personnel, and ordinary community members provide the labour that makes the houses possible, calling HAPI a national effort rooted in service rather than politics.
He described the programme as “totally volunteer,” noting that even schoolchildren have joined in, helping to paint and pass building materials during recent construction sessions.
Turner highlighted a house currently under development in St. Luke’s, recalling scenes of community members, young people and uniformed personnel working side by side.
Turner said the collaboration represents “what we are as a people,” arguing that HAPI’s success reflects community spirit and shared responsibility rather than government patronage.
He said opponents who continue to attack the programme are doing so despite the clear evidence of community-driven work taking place across constituencies.
The minister also said the programme is pushing to complete several new homes before Christmas, describing crews “moving like crazy” to ensure beneficiaries can move in before the holidays.
He credited prisoners from the corrections system and members of the Defence Force for accelerating work so families in need would not have to wait until the new year.
Turner urged MPs to support, rather than undermine, the programme, arguing that the House should be calling for more HAPI homes to be built.
He said members should champion the initiative as a model of how communities can come together to lift up the poor and elderly, especially when public resources are limited.
Throughout his presentation, Turner framed HAPI as one of the clearest examples of community partnership in government social programming, emphasising that its 101-home milestone demonstrates how far volunteerism can go in meeting the needs of the most vulnerable.
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